Recommended Television Programmes

[Dave2002]

If the first episode tinkered with the story to a moderate extent, the later ones made these aberrations pale into insignificance. Jaggers is more like Emperor Palpatine than the original character. Miss Havisham smokes opium, and introduces Pip to a prostitute.

Drugs, illegal slavery ships… the list goes on.
his
Of course, it couldn’t possibly be a scriptwriter who’s desperate for attention.

I am struggling with this. Not particularly pleasant to watch, but I'll stick it out for a while.

Seems very mangled compared to my impressions of the book.

[Pianorak]

Ireland with Simon Reeve on BBC2. Reading his "Early Life" on Wikipedia was a bit of a surprise.

[JasonPalmer]

Havs been watching around the world in 80 days with david tennant, interesting adaptation.

[johncorrigan]

I haven’t seen any posts raving about the new BBC adaptation of Great Expectations. I had great expectations of it until I watch the first episode, and noted the following:
1. the young Pip already has a broken voice;
2. Pip tells Joe he wants to be a gentleman, long before encountering Miss Havisham and Estella;
3. Repeated use of the S and F words, never used by Dickens;
4. Pip’s surname is Pirrip, but he is repeatedly referred to as Pip Gargery.

If the first episode tinkered with the story to a moderate extent, the later ones made these aberrations pale into insignificance. Jaggers is more like Emperor Palpatine than the original character. Miss Havisham smokes opium, and introduces Pip to a prostitute.

Drugs, illegal slavery ships… the list goes on.

Of course, it couldn’t possibly be a scriptwriter who’s desperate for attention.

I remember in the early 60s on a Sunday afternoon being scared s**tless by the graveyard scene in a TV production of 'Great Expectations'. It has haunted me ever since. I did try to read the book around the time I was reading 'Coral Island' and 'Jane Eyre' and 'Lorna Doone' and 'Little Women' and 'Treasure Island' and all those classics in our local library. However I found 'Great Expectations' impenetrable. Too much endless description...'come on Charlie, get on with the story', I can hear my young brain saying at the time. Since then my experience of Dickens has been film, TV and radio adaptations - apart from reading 'A Christmas Carol' to the kids, I never went back to his books.
So I am not knowledgeable enough to comment on the veracity of the present adaptation on BBC except that Mrs C and I are thoroughly enjoying it. Some fine acting and I have to say that I am enjoying Coleman as Miss Haversham, and am finding the relationship between Pip and Jaggers quite amusing, but whether it bears any similarity to the book I have little way of knowing...apparently not it would seem.

[smittims]

The most scary depiction of the graveyard scene for me remains Finlay Currie in the classic David Lean film, and like so much fine cinema it's done as much by suggestion as anything graphic.

'Too much endless description' is a frequent complaint of 19th-century novels . Despite the reverence in which 'Middlemarch' is held I think its author spends far too many pages introducing Doctor Lydgate to us. His past is not that relevant to the story. And George Eliot is not the worst offender...

[Ein Heldenleben]

The most scary depiction of the graveyard scene for me remains Finlay Currie in the classic David Lean film, and like so much fine cinema it's done as much by suggestion as anything graphic.

'Too much endless description' is a frequent complaint of 19th-century novels . Despite the reverence in which 'Middlemarch' is held I think its author spends far too many pages introducing Doctor Lydgate to us. His past is not that relevant to the story. And George Eliot is not the worst offender...

Well she got the equivalent of a £1 million pound advance for Romola so she must have known what the public wanted. All dwarfed by Hugo’s $3 million advance for a mere 8 year publishing licence on Les Miserables (another book with chapter long descriptions ) - that earned out its advance in a few months. People had more time then possibly or maybe there were just fewer distractions. There’s even a theory they were more intelligent.

[smittims]

Ho, ho. My guess it was the long winter evenings with no TV or internet.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The most scary depiction of the graveyard scene for me remains Finlay Currie in the classic David Lean film, and like so much fine cinema it's done as much by suggestion as anything graphic.

The David Lean film is remarkable in its conciseness, without feeling rushed. And somehow having a 48-year old John Mills as the 18-ish year old Pip doesn't seem a problem.

Re the detail in Dickens' novels, I rarely find it a problem, though I had difficulty getting into Bleak House when I first attempted to read it some 55 years ago. Pickwick Papers, on the other hand, remains an enigma.

[muzzer]

I binged Dead Ringers this weekend. Not for the squeamish. But I’d be surprised if Rachel Weisz doesn’t win a hatful of awards for her performances. Not seen the like of it.

[underthecountertenor]

BBC Four is showing the 1999 BBC David Copperfield. A much more straightforward rendering than the BBC’s latest Dickens adaptation, and featuring an extraordinary cast. Episode 1 was on last night.

[Quarky]

Last Friday evening, 4 More broadcast Astrid: Murder in Paris - still available on Channel 4 Catch Up.

Raphaelle and Astrid have to solve a murder where the murder weapon turns out to be a church organ playing Bach's Toccata and Fugue.....

[oddoneout]

This is a lovely bit of slow TV on a subject that most of us have little or no reason to know anything of - the making of a samurai sword.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08v8gxl

It's the first of three films, and the only one I got to see first time around so am looking forward to seeing the other two, about kimonos and pottery.
JEG and JSB may take priority tonight over seeing this one again though.

[oddoneout]

Last Friday evening, 4 More broadcast Astrid: Murder in Paris - still available on Channel 4 Catch Up.

Raphaelle and Astrid have to solve a murder where the murder weapon turns out to be a church organ playing Bach's Toccata and Fugue.....

It wouldn't be the first time that piece has been murdered...

[teamsaint]

BBC Four is showing the 1999 BBC David Copperfield. A much more straightforward rendering than the BBC’s latest Dickens adaptation, and featuring an extraordinary cast. Episode 1 was on last night.

It is superb.
Available with lots of other wonderful stuff in this box, used for under £20.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000ASALSI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[eighthobstruction]

5star [so say] version on $ onDemand last night https://www.channel4.com/programmes/...id-copperfield